The present invention relates to a new type of differential gear which achieves a speed balancing between two shafts by using the principle of the inclined plane. The two shafts can, for example, be shafts for two driving wheels of an automobile or a tracklaying vehicle. Otherwise, this gear can be used in all cases where conventional differential gears are now used.
In comparison with this conventional differential gears, the differential gear of the invention is considerably more compact in design, is easier to produce and thus will lower costs. Friction inside the differential is reduced, which results in increased durability and a particularly quiet operation. It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a new type of differential gear which can replace conventional differential gears, but which also distinguishes itself by the above-mentioned advantages.
When used in an automobile during a straight drive on a dry road, it operates just like a conventional differential gear, that is power is distributed equally to all wheels. When driving on a curved, dry road, it also behaves like a normal differential gear, that is the outer wheel travels a greater distance than the inner wheel. However, if one wheel does not meet with resistance, e.g. on icy stretches, but the other wheel meets with normal resistance, then a conventional differential gear will fail because one wheel will spin with twice the speed while the other wheel will stand still. The differential gear of the invention is far superior in such a situation because both wheels turn at the same speed, that is the vehicle can drive in spite of poor road conditions. This is possible because axial pressure is exerted by rolling members between two cam-track disks, which transfers the same moment to both wheels.